Mobb Deep star Prodigy died from choking on an egg, in one of the most bizarre accidents to have hit the music industry in recent years.

The 42-year-old rapper was in a Las Vegas hospital at the time of his death, but for a completely unrelated reason.

Prodigy - real name Albert Johnson - had been performing in Vegas in searing heat, which had led to a flare up of his sickle cell anemia - a blood disorder that can affect the immune system.

He'd been rushed to hospital for treatment after his bodyguards noticed him looking ill at a meet-and-greet with fans on Saturday 17 June.

Thanks to the blistering desert heat - it was reportedly as hot as 43C inside the venue he'd been performing in - Prodigy left his fans and headed back to his hotel to get some rest and rehydrate.

Prodigy reportedly choked on an egg (Image: WireImage)

But his condition deteriorated and he was taken to hospital.

TMZ reported that the artist was still in hospital at the time of his death on June 20, and the Clark County Medical Examiner's report now confirms that his cause of death was accidental choking on the egg.

The news of his death was broken on Instagram by rapper Nas, a friend of the star

Nas - full name Nasir Jones - shared a picture of the star reading a book, and wrote alongside it: "QB RIP King P. Prodigy 4 Ever."

Fans were left devastated by the news, with many expressing their shock.

A statement was released to Mirror Online by Mobb Deep's US agent, Elements of Life.

They said: "Our thoughts are with Havoc, the Mobb Deep family and their friends at this difficult time. We are beyond proud to have witnessed the greatness of his live performances, including his first ever shows in the U.K.

"Also greatly humbled by Prodigy's achievements in the face of lifelong adversity. Prodigy's music and words live forever in all of us. Rest in peace and power. Prodigy 4 Eva."

He hailed from a very musical family, with his grandfather, Budd Johnson, and his great-uncle, Keg Johnson, well remembered for their contributions to the Bebop era of jazz.

His mother, Fatima Johnson, was a singer too and a member of 1960s girl group The Crystals.

Mobb Deep rose to fame in 1995 when their album The Infamous sold over 500,000 copies in the first two months.

The group was released from its contract with 50 Cent's G-Unit label in 2009, and Prodigy recently served three years in a medium-security prison for possessing a gun. He was released in March 2011.

The group's publicist sent the following statement to XXL:"It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep.

"Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined.

"We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family's privacy at this time."

Prodigy and his partner Havoc formed Mobb Deep - a leading light of the "hardcore" hip-hop sound of the 1990s, with its raw depictions of inner city life - in their home Queensbridge Houses in New York City and released their debut album, Juvenile Hell, in 1993.

Prodigy hyping up the crowd (Image: WireImage)

Prodigy on stage in Glasgow in 2015 (Image: Redferns)

The following year they released the first version of the song for which they are arguably best known, Shook Ones Part 1.

The 1995 sophomore effort, The Infamous, brought the group to a much larger audience and featured Shook Ones Part II, a remix of the original.

The group became key members of the reigning New York hip-hop scene of the era and their third effort, 1996's Hell on Earth, featured guest spots from Method Man and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan as well as fellow Queensbridge native Nas.

The group also found itself caught up in the lethal East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry of the era and were dissed by Tupac on several tracks - some of which mocked Prodigy's sickle-cell anemia.

Tupac died after being shot by a still-unknown gunman in Las Vegas in September 1996.

In 1999, the group released its most successful album, Murda Muzik, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

After the turn of the millennium, the group's sound became more commercial and it released a series of albums - on a collaboration with Nas, another as part of 50 Cent's G-Unit clique - over the following years.

In 2012 the group split for several months after a dispute on Twitter, but publicly reunited the following year. Their eighth and most recent album, The Infamous Mobb Deep, was released in 2014.

The group continued to tour over the years and performed its last show in Las Vegas on Saturday as part of The Art of Rap tour with follow veteran rappers including Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One and Ice-T.